St Paul's Church, Tiverton

Parking: Market Place or Phoenix Lane Multi-storey car parks. Allow time to walk to the church from either.Toilets: In the churchFood: Restaurants and pubs in Tiverton

The development of the Heathcoat factory around 1808 led to a substantial population growth on the West Exe side of Tiverton. In addition to a large number of houses that the factory built for its workers, by the 1850s there was an Anglican Church that began meeting. Eventually a new purpose-built building was erected, paid for, in the main by John Heathcoat’s daughter Caroline and her husband, Ambrose Brewin, the manager of the factory at the time.

Like St George’s, Tiverton, the church was made into a parish with its own vicar following the Act of Parliament of 1884.

You might be interested to know....

St Paul’s doesn’t have a graveyard like many churches but a garden that surrounds the church

The organ used to be at the back of the church but was moved to make way for a chapel to commemorate those who died in the Great War 1914-18

The bells in the tower are named after the children of a previous vicar of St Paul’s, (Revd Eric Arnold) and installed July 20 1976

The road, Baker’s Hill, is named after a previous vicar of St Paul’s (Revd. Edward Baker: vicar 1870-1895). Both the Old and New Vicarage are up this hill.

The Church has been struck by lightning.... twice! 1864 and again in June 1899.

A yew tree that once stood at the East end of St Paul’s churchyard was carved into a depiction of Adam and Eve being driven from the garden by the angel (Genesis 3: 24) entitled 'The Expulsion Group' by Mr Estcourt Clack, a former master at Blundells. It was on display in the Royal Academy in 1948, Northern Galleries in 1949 and in 1963 presented to the Bishop of Bath & Wells and is now displayed in a 'tower' in the garden of the Bishop’s Palace at Wells.

Secret Windows! There is a pair of windows in the side chapel depicting St Peter & St Paul; there are a matching pair on the other side, hidden by the organ - they were donated by the Carew family - a longstanding and distinguished Tiverton family.